This 12 week Winter plan is for use by cyclists and/or triathletes wanting to maintain and develop their aerobic capacity over the Winter and to prepare themselves well for higher intensity training in the pre-season phase. The plan does not involve large numbers of long road rides during the training week, normally just one 3-4 hour ride, but this can be substituted for an indoor session. The workouts within the plan are designed with slowly increasing weekly Training Stress Score (TSS) totals with scheduled lighter training load weeks included to allow adequate recovery.

The planned training loads have been established using predicted workout TSS values rather than being purely time based. The aims of the plan are to build aerobic capacity, to include some higher intensity sessions, and to prepare the athlete for a Chronic Training Load (CTL) build when the weather improves in the Spring.

The plan is best suited to cyclists and/or triathletes who have been involved in cycle training in one form or another for 12 months or more, are used to regular training, and are looking to establish a very firm fitness base over the Winter without spending a large number of hours exposed to the elements each week. The plan also allows athletes to get the very best from the features available in what will have been a very substantial investment, their CompuTrainer or VeloTron ergotrainer.

With the exception of the scheduled road rides all of the workouts in the plan come complete with .erg files attached to the workouts with the loads scaled to your specific FTP. The .erg files are for use with CompuTrainer or VeloTron ergotrainers manufactured by RacerMate. The .erg files ensure that the loads applied during each session are optimised to your personal abilities and fitness and that you are therefore training at the optimal intensity to secure the desired physiological adaptations.

Because the workouts are scaled to your personal FTP it is essential that you establish your FTP prior to purchasing and commencing your plan. A failure to do this will result in the workouts in the plan being either too hard or too easy.

The plans for sale are for convenience available in 20W FTP increments. If you find that during your preliminary testing your FTP falls between these increments, and you definitely wish to purchase a plan, please contact me via email as: qfieldboden@gmail.com. I will then prepare a copy of the plan scaled to within 2.5W of your FTP as I have available all the required .erg files in 5W increments. I can normally complete a request for an FTP specific plan within 48 hours of a firm decision to purchase. The plan will then be made available on the site for you to purchase and thereafter will be available in your TrainingPeaks calendar.

The plan uses a higher intensity lower volume plan model which has been gaining in popularity and support in recent years as some riders and their coaches move away from the Long Slow Distance (LSD) Winter training model. This approach is a possible solution for many riders who want to perform well but who do not have the time (or weather) to build vast training volumes during the Winter months.

As part of the plan it is also suggested that you swim and walk once a week simply to provide an alternative exercise which can also of course be performed with family or friends. The swimming session is intended to be purely for pleasure and may well just involve an hour in the pool doing some steady relaxing swimming. The scheduled walking session is again optional and simply ensures that exercise other than cycling is being enjoyed and should ideally take the form of a 60-120 minute brisk walk, an activity surprisingly neglected by many cyclists but a very beneficial one.

Sample Day 1

1:00:00

1x50Min@55-60%FTP

L2-1x50Mins@55-60%FTP

Training Session Length: 1hr:00min.

1x50 minute effort at 55-60% of FTP with a variable load. Recovery Ride.

This session can be used after a particularly hard event or build period where active recovery is required rather than complete rest, the muscles recover better with light exercise than no activity at all.

This is a specialised workout which can be used as an FTP Check-up. As such this is a demanding session even though there is only actually 25 minutes of hard work within the workout itself. You must read the accompanying guidance notes which are attached to the workout as a .pdf file.

The workout is a modified version of the FTP testing protocol contained in the excellent book “Training and Racing with a Power Meter” by Andrew Coggan and Hunter Allen.

You need to be sure you are fully hydrated and that you have been eating well in the run up to the session.

The ergometer file includes warm-up and cool down periods, the warm-up period can also be used as the period during which the CompuTrainer load generator and the tyre are warmed up prior to calibration. This must be completed before the main part of the session commences, failure to do so will compromise the accuracy of the FTP Check-up.

You are strongly advised to consume a recovery drink of a type which includes some protein immediately after the session to commence your recovery prior to your next training session, particularly if this is the following day.

Sample Day 3

1:10:00

2x20Min@80%FTP

L3-2x20Mins@80%FTP

Training Session Length: 1hr:10min.

2x20 minute efforts at 80% of FTP with an isopower load. Tempo Training.

This session is an extremely time-efficient way to do some top-quality base fitness work. You will develop your aerobic capability, train your cardiovascular system to function with greater efficiency, and train your muscles to tolerate working hard for extended periods. It is particularly effective on the turbo because there is no freewheeling!

This session is not an easy session incorporating as it does 40 minutes of tempo riding but neither is it too taxing. You need to be sure you are fully hydrated and that you have been eating well in the run up to the session.

The ergometer file includes warm-up and cool down periods, the warm-up period can also be used as the period during which the CompuTrainer load generator and the tyre are warmed up prior to calibration. This must be completed before the main part of the training session commences.

You are strongly advised to consume a recovery drink of a type which includes some protein immediately after the session to commence your recovery prior to your next training session, particularly if this is the following day.

Sample Day 4

1:00:00

Recovery Walk

This session is not intended to be a hard or challenging training session. It should be a relaxing and enjoyable session of alternative exercise to use a different range of movement and to allow you, if desired, to enjoy an exercise session with no stress involved with friends and family if they fancy coming along.

Walking is a much neglected and I believe beneficial exercise for cyclists. In this context it is not a fatiguing exercise and it uses different and very important muscle groups which can be neglected with regular cycle training. It is not unusual for a cyclist in regular training to find that a period of brisk walking results in a surprising level of muscle soreness particularly in the lower back. With regular walking this soreness quickly subsides as the muscles become accustomed to what is a very normal activity, we are designed to walk, not cycle!

Wearing comfortable shoes (trainers are ideal) simply walk briskly, preferably over undulating terrain, for at least an hour. Your walking pace should have you feeling warm and you should aim to walk at between 3.5 to 4mph on average.

After your walk take a long hot shower, a nice warm drink, and if possible just relax.

Sample Day 5

1:10:00

2x20Min@80%FTP

L3-2x20Mins@80%FTP

Training Session Length: 1hr:10min.

2x20 minute efforts at 80% of FTP with an isopower load. Tempo Training.

This session is an extremely time-efficient way to do some top-quality base fitness work. You will develop your aerobic capability, train your cardiovascular system to function with greater efficiency, and train your muscles to tolerate working hard for extended periods. It is particularly effective on the turbo because there is no freewheeling!

This session is not an easy session incorporating as it does 40 minutes of tempo riding but neither is it too taxing. You need to be sure you are fully hydrated and that you have been eating well in the run up to the session.

The ergometer file includes warm-up and cool down periods, the warm-up period can also be used as the period during which the CompuTrainer load generator and the tyre are warmed up prior to calibration. This must be completed before the main part of the training session commences.

You are strongly advised to consume a recovery drink of a type which includes some protein immediately after the session to commence your recovery prior to your next training session, particularly if this is the following day.

Sample Day 6

3:00:00

LONG RIDE - 3 Hours

The only real requirement for this session is that you should aim to finish the ride with an average W/HR in your endurance zone.

Try to maintain a fairly consistent pace and if possible try to avoid making hard efforts unless the terrain demands it. You must eat during this ride and as always it is essential to remain well hydrated, ideally using a suitable energy drink.

After your ride SIS REGO as a recovery drink is excellent and there are several other similar recovery products on the market, in the end this is a very personal choice.

Eat as soon as possible after your ride, consume a meal containing carbohydrate and protein, but don't overdo it! A tuna sandwich or beans on toast would be ideal. Make sure you don't go hungry for the rest of the day.

This is a good ride to do with a friend or friends because you can easily chat and you don't need to concentrate hard. The main point of this ride is for it to be continuous, avoid regular stops.

Sample Day 7

1:00:00

Recovery Swim

This session is not intended to be a hard or challenging training session. It should be a relaxing and enjoyable session of alternative exercise to use a different range of movement and to allow you, if desired, to enjoy an exercise session with no stress involved with friends and family if they fancy coming along.

Go to the pool, get in the water, and enjoy a nice relaxing hour in the water, just like you used to do before you started training! Resist the temptation to start timing or counting lengths, the emphasis here is on enjoyment, pure and simple.

After your swim have a long hot shower, a nice warm drink, and if possible just relax.

Quentin Field-Boden

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VeloTraining

Particularly interested in coaching cyclists for endurance events from time trials to multi day events.

I provide coaching services primarily for road cyclists. I do not offer multiple levels of coaching services, by restricting my client numbers I provide a single and very personal level of coaching, I believe that all clients deserve equal levels of coaching commitment regardless of their abilities or status.